Does the VA request outside medical records for claims?

[jdelta]

I was able to get a hold of some medical records from a clinic that i went to a few years ago. Is this something the VA normally request or would i be better off submitting? Like i said before, i'm new to this so i want to cover all grounds.

[Vync]

@Buck52 you might be right. It has been a while since I requested my c-file. Might as well test out this new process. I do know that the last time I got mine some years ago, it did include non-VA medical records that were associated with my claim. I even re-sent some of the pages during the appears process and the VA said they already had them and mailed them back to me. Crazy, eh?

The third party PII is an interesting change. It sounds like it could relate to unit records and possibly even medical treatment records. I remember going over some of my handwritten service treatment records and finding the name, rank, title, and SSN of some of the doctors. Redacting their SSN makes sense. I remember some of my military orders contained a list of names and SSNs for numerous other fellow soldiers. I would hope they are redacting those before mailing them out. Reminds me of the time in Germany that a sergeant major was in the news because he ordered some fries and they came wrapped in a copy of someone's orders.

[jdelta]

After everyone's advice, i submitted it. Rather have sent it and have them already have it then not send it and they don't.

 

[Carl the Engineer]

9 hours ago, Buck52 said:

I just got this in email

VA announces new process for responding to Privacy Act requests

https://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=5338

I smell a rat.............

Hamslice

Keep copies of everything VA......... rat bastards.........

[Buck52]

Since this was approve Oct 1st 2019

It may be beneficial we all request Our C-File  ASAP.

Before they start this deleting process  because I do not trust them.

[broncovet]

When you apply for benefits, they (your VSO) normally gives you a release of information form to request the records from your private docs.  

Sometimes private docs charge to print and mail your records.  VA wont pay for them.  

Better...just send them the records you want them to see.  

[brokensoldier244th]

Yup. Saves va the trouble of going through everything your doctor sends rather Than just the relevant stuff. I always go through them, find what I need, and type up a cover sheet with the main points And page numbers, and then highlight or arrow sticker the corresponding parts in what I send before I scan it,  like a short research summary. It’s bit of work but it seems to work well if you make it as easy as possible for them to find things.

Edited October 22, 2019 by brokensoldier244th